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I’ve always been a bit of an odd one when it comes to breakfast. Unlike my SO, who wakes up ravenous every morning (before you get concerned, he’s well-fed at dinner time!), it takes me at least an hour after waking up before I feel like eating anything substantial. I’m much more of a brunch person when it comes to the first meal of the day. I’m all for taking the time to leisurely cook pancakes or French toast on a weekend morning, but let’s be honest this is never going to happen during the week (and it’s probably better for our waistlines that it doesn’t). Something a bit speedier is in order during the week. I’ve also never had a regular go-to breakfast of choice – I remember once going through a cucumber on crackers phase as a kid. I never said I wasn’t a weird child…but then who was a normal child, right?!…

So on to breakfast solutions! Smoothies are a tasty and quick option, and I always have a bag or two of frozen fruit in the freezer. For a more substantial meal, and if I have an extra few minutes when getting ready, then I might make an egg-based breakfast (usually a poached or boiled egg with toast) or if I’ve been even better prepared the night before then overnight oats are very convenient come morning. But for an in-between breakfast, both quick and filling, granola is one of my favourite options right now. As with all my recipes, adjust this granola to your own tastes. Slivers of dried coconut would be a lovely addition, and use any dried fruit you like: raisins, sultanas, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, chopped apricots or figs or pineapple, mango, apple, banana chips…

A little note on agave nectar: I’d had a bottle in the cupboard for a couple of years. I think I bought it when it was going through its health superfood phase, but never quite knew what to do with it. In fact, agave nectar is no better for you than other sugar products like honey (it’s actually quite high in fructose), but it works well in this recipe as it’s light and not as sticky as honey. A bit of both seems to do the trick in terms of both texture and flavour. On the other hand, agave nectar is plant-based so perfect for vegans – if that’s your concern then just replace the honey with extra agave nectar.Ingredients (makes one large jar or tub of granola)
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
100ml agave nectar
50ml honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g porridge oats
100g flaked almonds
150g dried fruit of your choice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas Mark 3. Measure out the liquids (oil, agave nectar, honey and vanilla extract) and mix.
2. Place the oats in a large bowl and pour over the wet mixture, mixing well to coat the oats.

3. Stir through the flaked almonds.
4. Spread the oats out onto two large baking trays – don’t pile them any thicker than about half an inch so they cook evenly in the oven.
5. Bake for 15 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown (keep an eye on the trays while they’re in the oven as they can catch and burn quickly). Leave to cool for 10 minutes on the trays.
6. Tip the granola back into your large bowl, breaking it into small chunks.
7. Stir through the dried fruit.
8. Pack the granola into a large jar or tupperware tub.
The granola will keep for weeks in an airtight container. Serve with your choice of fruit, yogurt or milk for a filling breakfast – some accompaniment ideas here (stewed apples and plums) and here (stewed rhubarb).
Happy breakfasting!

I’ve always been a bit scared of buns. All that kneading and proving and shaping (mainly all that kneading, jeez what a faff). So when I saw the front cover of the Guardian Cook (14 December 2013) lying innocently on the kitchen worktop I gazed longingly at the bronzed swirling buns, but resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t brave enough to attempt making them. I commented to Mother that they looked delicious and she confessed, “Hmmm yes…actually I thought that might be something that you would like to make us”. Cheeky Mother – not such an innocent Guardian Cook after all. My instant reaction was “No”, but grudgingly I had a look at the recipe and lo-and-behold no kneading! And a pretty straight forward recipe at that. Deal done.

I altered the recipe slightly – my dough needed much more time to prove and a little more time to cook than the recipe suggested; and, not only did I not have “vanilla salt” and ground cardamom at home, but I couldn’t find any at Waitrose. If those aren’t the precise ingredients that Waitrose exists for then I don’t know why it does! I also added sultanas just because.

Heat the butter and milk until almost boiling and remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly.

Gently bash the cardamom pods to open them up and remove the small black seeds. Violently bash these until you have a fine powder. I used a pestle and mortar, so “fine” is a generous description.

Sift the flours into a large bowl. Add the salt, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp of the cardamom. Mix.

Now that the milk is warm, not hot (if it is too hot it can kill the yeast) add it to the dry ingredients with your egg. Mix.

The “dough” will be a thick, sticky consistency. You’ll think it’s wrong. It’s not. Cover with cling film (lightly oiled if your bowl is small, so that if the dough rises a lot it won’t stick) and leave in a warm place for anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours until the dough rises. I covered mine in a towel to keep him extra cosy.

Cream the softened butter with the sugar, cinnamon, sea salt and vanilla. Resist the temptation to spread on toast and shove in gob.

Tip (scrape) the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle which is roughly 35cm by 25cm. Spread the butter mixture all over the dough using a palette, or any other flat, knife. Sprinkle over the sultanas.

Roll the dough starting from one of the long sides so you have a long sausage shape. Cut into seven pieces, leaving the seventh piece slightly smaller than the others.

Butter a 23cm cake tin (with sides at least 5cm high) and place the smallest roll in the middle, pretty swirl side up. Place the remaining six evenly around this one. Leave in a warm place for anywhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour to double in size.

Let’s get these buns in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and brush the buns with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-35 minutes until dark golden brown. If you tap the bottom of the cake tin it should sound hollow.

We had these the next morning with fresh orange juice and coffee: perfection. They would go equally well with a cup of tea mid-afternoon. Ross also suggested having them iced, or with streaky bacon and maple syrup. I’m not sure about the last idea.

These are rich, dense buns, with a satisfying, cakey texture. The flavour of the cinnamon and cardamom is beautiful, though the recipe is definitely adaptable to other combinations. I like the idea of orange zest and dark chocolate chips. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to try one of the more fiddly recipes that call for kneading. But for now, excuse me while I go polish off the last sticky crumb of these buns.